Saturday, March 31, 2007

March 31 2007. That was the cut-off date for the Bush Administration to use its current Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) to quicken negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) with friendly countries such as Malaysia.

It isn't happening but nothing to crow about by those who oppose any FTA between Malaysia and the United States, and for that matter the US and other nations.It ain't over till the FTA ladies sign, despite the end of the TPA by June 2007, as negotiations will still continue between Malaysian Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz and the US Trade Representative Susan Schwab.

After going through the laundry list of arguments and counter-arguments, we think the FTA provides a workable mechanism for Malaysia to export more goods and services - where possible and where quality is not an issue - to the United States.

And vice-versa.

Any fear of freeing trade, and we have with ASEAN and soon ASEAN with China, is reflective of being shown up as incompetent to conduct trade and services.

One has to remember that the great Malaccan Empire was founded on free trade though the greed of those who wanted to control that trade led to conquests by European powers, as alluded in Star Wars.

Monday, March 19, 2007

As you adequately put, the problem is choice. But we already know what you're going to do, don't we? Already I can see the chain reaction, the chemical precursors that signal the onset of emotion, designed specifically to overwhelm logic, and reason. An emotion that is already blinding you from the simple, and obvious truth: she is going to die, and there is nothing that you can do to stop it.

Hope, it is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness.

- The Architect, The Matrix Reloaded.

And the chain reaction, begun a a scant few weeks ago, snowballs into a frenzy. A frenzy fuelled by one part blind disenfranchisement, one part misplaced importance and many parts irrational braying. First there were the lawsuits, then there was that thing about a minister, bloggers, liars and unemployed women. Now it's the Malaysian Journeyman's turn to get their goat. Mydeen thinks this is just a continuation of the spin which started being perpetuated as 2007 dawned on us.

As Dek Mat has pointed out, Rehman is venting his Luddite steam. Though, how he is going to do that when he goes around smashing steam machines stumps Mydeen. That chain reaction was inevitable, given the cycle of technology adoption, excitement and the eventual disenchantment. So he took a swipe at bloggers, particularly their lack of ethics and principles. Can we really say that all bloggers uphold the tenets of journalism ?

By focussing their ire on a perceived enemy and by flying off course at the slightest slight, Mydeen thinks these bloggers have exposed their insecurity and their egg-shell wrapped egos. Too engrossed in their own self-worth, they have forsaken what they say they stand for, a better Malaysia.

But then, a better Malaysia is just a smokescreen for personal agendas and political spin, as the bloggers stake their claim to political legitimacy in preparation for an impending general election. A large part of this situation was created by the establishment themselves when they supressed information and public political discourse. The internet, websites and blogs stepped into that void. Not all that spawned in the ether is the blind truth though the perceptions may veer in that direction.

Parliament is in session today and our very own YB Maya Minah Black has Question #000.5 to be asked. Let's turn to issues which affect our nation, and let's not be diluted by the spin perpetuated by those with personal agendas and a growing misconception of their own influences and roles in governance.

Let's get real, or we would just be a parody of what we could be. Dare we ?

Deputy Internal Security Minister gets 10 points for his lack of transparency in dealing with the accusation that he received RM5million for allegedly releasing three criminal suspects detained under the Emergency Ordinance.

He should have voluntarily taken a no-pay leave while investigations are carried out till his name is cleared of any wrongdoings.

Our Prime Minister takes 1 point for not advising Johari Baharom to take a no pay leave and also another point for not advising ACA Chief Zulkipli Mat Noor to do the same.

(oh Gawd... First we had defend some of the government's views, then NST's right to seek recourse in courts and now I can't believe that we're trying to defend Rehman! Arrgghhhh!!! The Pain!!! The Pain!!!)

Here's one:

"...Maybe these statments are true to certain extent.many bloggers are refused to reveal their own identity....BUT, the true bloggers wont hide their identities..." written by Anonymous

There's more but I can't be arsed to copy and paste it here. Even his old flame has a special post on this.

But I digress.

To me the article was about his misgivings with technology. His pet independent online media, Agenda Malaysia, is perhaps a true testament to this when it failed.

But why are we overreacting to a self confessional piece of a luddite? Just because he belittles bloggers?

Hey, we belittle other bloggers ALL the time don't we? Is this an example of the sacrosant behaviour that he was writing about?

He may have called us rectums, but that does not justify all the verbal diarrheoa that slanted towards more name calling and character assasination comments.

Hardly sacrosanct behaviour.

Rehman also writes

"But no, it’s all good. Let a hundred thousand million flowers bloom; let all voices be heard, in however fractured language, whether or not they have anything pertinent to communicate or any information worth more than spittle to offer"

The demeaning innuendos aside, he does after all welcome the practice of free speech. And he does it with much verbosity and eloquence!

I must admit that I learn many new words while reading Rehman's articles ;)

And what of those who do not wish to learn anything positive from this article? Take another cue from Rehman himself:

"Are they not entitled to their opinion? Of course they are, as much as everyone else is entitled to ignore them."

Kickdefella even have had 3 posts and 2 posters on the matter. One poster depicted Pak Lah as the main protagonist in the movie Casanova and the other showing Pak Lah and his love interest in a poster spoof of Maid in Manhattan (Maid in Putrajaya).

Rumour mongering is bad news. If they really wanted to keep a tab on Pak Lah's marital affairs (or the lack of it) then they should bring up the issue why is his supposedly love interest following him around the work (as they have claimed) on tax payer funds?

But no, I guess these bloggers are practising their right to spin. All good with us.

But I still do not approve of rumour mongering. So I decided to give Rocky a piece 0f his own medicine and commented:

"hmm i heard rumours that on a night of debauchery at the Kelab Tekan Nasional, Si Batu pun nak Kahwin.... jeng jeng jeng!"

As of now, my comment has yet to be approved.

Perhaps it is his way of telling me to fuck off and play somewhere else and telling me: It's your daddy, go to your room!

* Parliamentary Opposition LeaderLim Kit Siang who said, "The unusual Cabinet meeting tomorrow should cushion the massive losses suffered by small investors who acted on the Chinese New Year advice of the Prime Minister to enter the stock market to “ride on the momentum” to surpass 1,350 points for the KLCI and who bear the brunt of the massive RM70 billion losses in the stock exchange in the past two days."

Come on! The stock market is a matter of risk and yield. Why would anyone follow the Prime Minister's advice and if they did, isn't that their judgment on the matter?

This from a man who has castigated the government for ostensibly guaranteeing profits to toll operators. Is his party so desperate and reactionary that they will grab at anything to score points?

* UMNO Youth Complaints and Consumer Affairs ChiefSubahan Kamal who had criticised the Human Resource Ministry for neglecting unemployed Bumiputera graduates who are forced to drive taxis, adding the ministry should enforce a 30 percent quota for Bumiputeras at all levels of the private sector.

Aisehman weighed in on this but I would like to add that such racism is quite uncalled in calling for quotas in private sector. What kind of thinking is this? And why the limit in number of Bumiputeras in the private sector?

Has Subahan no shame that Bumiputeras need a crutch to clutch at jobs? One of our founding fathers, the late Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman called it a slur against the Bumiputeras as written in his biography The Reluctant Politician.

* The mysterious email - that has been circulating since August 2006 - alluding to a conspiracy to deprive Malaysia of Islam. Among others, it says

Well, I figure their faith must be so shaky and shallow that a lack of reminder of their faith will definitely get them astray from the Islamic path. How sad!

The faith is in you, not on a piece of paper! And it won't be shaken by holy water from a church or the chants and smoke and incense from temples. If anything, the faith is what keeps you away from any form of corruption.

What am I talking about? Of course, you need to be reminded of your faith, otherwise you are weakminded and corrupted by the world!

Malay Sia Sia Sahaja! What a potential waste of 50 years of intelligence turned idiocy and the diversity of Malaysia - people, cultures and faiths - turned into a perversity and parody of Malaysia.